Four on the Floor: Singer-Songwriters

Today’s Four on the Floor recognizes just a few of the great singer-songwriters that will be sharing their music with us at SXSW in a couple of weeks. These four artists truly pour their souls into every aspect of the musical process, from writing the songs to recording and then performing. Each singer-songwriter below brings a different aural style to SXSW as well.

Garland Jeffreys just released his second album in three years (Truth Serum) and is premiering a new video for the song “Collide the Generations” today which you view here. In addition to the video, he has just launched a new website (collidethegenerations.com) sparking the discussion of how music gets passed down the line, whether it’s parents sharing music with their kids or young musicians getting inspired by older performers.RIYL: Graham Parker, Crazy Horse

Slow and steady, the music of Torres moves between grungy and clean textures, but it’s her lovely, haunting voice driving the intensity of each song. Torres released her critically-acclaimed debut album (Torres) in January 2013, shortly before playing her first SXSW last March.RIYL: Crooked Fingers, Neko Case

The combination of JP Hoe’s staunch vocals over uplifting folk-pop melodies has served him well through two studio albums, the most recent being 2012’s Mannequin. The singer-songwriter hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba returns to the SXSW Music Festival in 2014.RIYL: Wilco, Aimee Mann

A singer-songwriter carrying strong Caribbean vibes throughout her music, Juliette Ashby’s fusion of reggae, R&B and soul flavors is unique, engaging and exciting. The North London vocalist released her most recent EP (Take It Over) just this past October.RIYL: Ellie Goulding, Amy Winehouse